A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to polyolefin foam deck soft surfboard, more particularly, to polyethylene foam deck soft surfboard having a hot melt resin layer disposed on the polyethylene foam sheet for bonding the polyethylene foam sheet to a non-woven fabric sheet.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Soft deck surfboards have become very popular in recent years. A soft deck surfboard is particularly suitable and safe for beginner surfer because the board is made of foam material and lightweight. The injury caused by surfing on a soft deck surfboard is relatively minor compared to a hard skin fiberglass surfboard if the surfboard accidentally hits the rider. Soft deck surfboards are typically constructed of a semi-flexible foam core, a plastic slick bottom skin and a polyethylene foam deck skin. The foam core may include polyethylene foam, polypropylene and polystyrene foam. Polyethylene foam sheet is generally used for the foam skin on the deck due to its resilient and non-slip properties. One problem with such boards, however, is that the soft surfboards normally suffer from the lack of rigidity, which is necessary for proper surf control. In many cases, one or more longitudinal struts are placed inside foam core of soft surfboards to provide structural support and increase stiffness. These stringers may comprise wood, epoxy/fiberglass composite, polymer resin material or some other high-strength, resilient, and fairly lightweight material.
Small size wave surfing boards having a hard surface composite foam core have been used for many years. The composite foam board generally includes a polyurethane foam core with opposing skins comprised of fibrous reinforcing mats or fabrics in a matrix of cured resin. These composite foam boards have been manufactured as different size, shape and rocker configuration suitable for a particular surfing sports and may be used as a skimboard, wakeskate board or wake surfboard. One deficiency of these conventional hard surface composite foam boards is that resin-casted surface is slick to a rider's foot. As a result, wax or a foam pad made of high frictional foam material is generally applied to the deck of the surfing boards to increase the traction. It is therefore desirable to provide foam deck soft surfboard having a non-slip and resilient foam skin which does not require the application of wax or an externally attached foam pad.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,501 discloses a thermoformable composite article of foam adhesively laminated by top and bottom fabric layers with at one fabric layer made of a non-woven fabric impregnated with a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin. The reference shows foam particularly well suited in furnishing automobile interiors.
In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, it is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a soft deck surfboard having improved stiffness. Another objective of the present invention is to provide an improved surfboard having a soft deck with improved stiffness and at the same time retain the lightweight foam core and the non-slip and resilient foam skin. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing process that is inexpensive to make surfboards and resulting articles of manufacture having improved stiffness while maintaining light weight.